Suggestions for a new loveseat? How do you feel about leather?

[lindrusso]

We are beginning to shop around for a loveseat for our family room, but I'm not sure what to get.

The room is quite neutral right now, so I'd like to get a darker color for a little contrast. However, with a very blonde golden, that's not a very attractive idea - seeing the dog hair stuck all over it would drive me batty. A lighter couch wouldn't show the dog hair, but it would be boring and would show stains much more easily.

I've never been all that fond of leather couches, but I was sitting on my MIL's leather couch and I realized that it was dark and that dog hair would not stick to it. It would also be easy to clean with 2 boys and said blonde dog.

I'm afraid of leather not feeling as comfy in winter OR summer as a fabric couch. I'll also have to look at pricing to see if it's even within our budget.

Any advice or ideas for a couch with a little color that is also blonde dog friendly? ;)

[erinlovesmarc]

DH and I were just talking about this a few days ago...we have a cordourey beige couch and with a lab it's impossible to keep it clean so we started putting sheets on it (we take them off when guests come over) instead of washing the cushion covers once a week but now we're thinking of getting leathers couches...our friends have a lab too and they have a leather sectional and they swear it's easy to clean...they take off the cushions once a week and vacuum and they say it wipes down very easily...they only drawback is scratches from the dogs nails...now they just put a throw over it and take it off when they have company...

[Laurielee]

Hi Lindrusso, do a search on leather couches, there have been several threads on leather couches and dogs. As you can see mine is dog friendly:) . I love it because like you said dog hair does not stick, even if you dont allow the dog on the couch, its such easy clean up and almost kid proof and husband proof too:D . As for colors, I would choose a darker color. Light tans show dirt and start to accumulate in the cracks of the leather.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6d834b3127cce8a736324e32b00000016101Scs2rRkxE

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b6d834b3127cce8a73635ae35500000016101Scs2rRkxE

Laurie

[dixie]

I'm a big fan of slip covered furniture - the look and the practicality...not generic slip covers for existing couches/love seats but the ones that come that way. I have some Pottery Barn (PB Basic) pieces and several times a year just throw the covers in my own washing machine and they do beautifully. I just got a very similar style of love seat/chairs from IKEA for our lake house...a fraction of the cost and it looks almost identical, but I haven't washed the covers yet, so can't comment on how they compare in that way. Good Luck with your shopping!

[CompassRose]

Like Dixie, I'm a big fan of the slipcovered couches. Not that I had one, but I got one of those generic slipcovers for the big lovely couch I used to have, and it made the cat/dog problem much easier to handle -- so I can only imagine a couch with its very own made-for-it launderable covers would be even better.

Some leather couches on which I have sat are comfy, but many are not; I find 'em slippery, and as others have pointed out, sticky and unpleasant in summer if there's no air conditioning. Plus, the people I'm housesitting for at the moment have a leather couch -- and a dog -- and I have to say, the couch is a wreck. It's completely clawed open in a couple of places, and covered in nail scratches -- it's a kind of burgundy colour.

[AvrilH]

I just put chocolate brown leather couches in my family room and am very happy with them. We don't have AC, and they have been perfectly comfortable to sit on. THe dog is not allowed on them, but on my velvet LR couches, her dog hair gets transferred to them - not so on the leather. I am really pleased with them.

[PAMMELA]

We got this leather loveseat for our gameroom in RED and we love it! (Couldn't fit the couch upstairs unfortunately). It's easy to clean and comfortable so far as we've noticed in summer and winter.

http://s7ondemand5.scene7.com/is/image/roomstogo/lr_luv_14202028?$RoomCCM_412x288$

Hopefully you can click and it will work, not sure why the picture isn't showing up.
This is from the Cindy Crawford Collection at Rooms to Go.

[lindrusso]

Ah red, that's one color I'd consider getting. :)

Our house is air conditioned, so stickiness won't be a problem. But slipperiness does concern me. My MIL's couch seemed pretty nice in that regard - smooth, but not slick and yucky feeling. I've sent her an email to find out where she got hers.

Slipcovers - thanks, but that won't work. True, they can be washed, but that doesn't help with the day-to-day hair that simply STICKS on the couch. That drives me nuts. The only way to remove that is frequent vacuuming or using a lint brush and that's what I'm looking to avoid.

Bailey is not allowed on the furniture, so nails will not be a problem.

And yes, the hair still gets on the furniture even if he's not allowed on it because he DOES brush up against it - usually when he's sticking his butt up in the air for us to scratch. :rolleyes: ;)

I will search for other threads, but I was also looking for other dog-friendly choices other than leather - such as other fabrics that might not grab the dog hair so easily - if such a thing exists. :)

[Salt]

We have 3 dogs and we have had a fabric couch and a leather couch. I love the leather couch. You can just wipe the dog hair off with your hand and then clean it up. We have a medium shade of brown leather couch and the dogs have marked it up with their nails. Our next couch will be Leather but not as soft as leather that we have now so that the dogs can't mark it up.

There are some leather couches out there that are very textured so you won't have to worry about it being too slick for you.

[Laurielee]

How about a smooth cotton material? My comforter is made of a smooth cotton and the hair just wipes off, doesnt stick at all.

Stay away from chenille type fabrics, I have a chair thats a chenille type fabric that is a hair magnet,


Laurie

[kim21]

We don't have a leather couch, but we do have the Lazy-Boy "Riley" chair in Ruby Red leather. I love it. It is comfy and easy to clean. We have three little dogs who are, much to their sadness, not allowed on the furniture (although I think they recline in it when I'm not home...:p ). Good luck! Kim

[Laurielee]

off the subject, but Kim, I got on Lazy boy website, that is the chair I Want! Oh and they have a coolest room/furniture planner too.


laurie

[LakeMartinGal]

We have a leather couch in green, similar to the one pictured above. We got it from Lazy Boy, and I have to say that the dog hair is not a problem at all! Our fur boys are not allowed on the couch, either. The only problem that I have with the leather is that, if you are susceptible to "power surges :rolleyes: ", it can get a little overwhelming, briefly. I have toyed with trying slipcovers, but since it reclines at both ends and is stationary in the middle, that won't work. It is easy to clean -- just a damp cloth, and perhaps some leather cleaner. It is never the wrong temperature in the winter (I am), but all in all, we are very happy with it!

Red would look great with Bailey's coloring!:D :p

[Cookin4Love]

I'll have leather as long as I have dogs. Both of ours do get on the couch (they weren't allowed, they just consistently were on there whenever we got home :rolleyes: ). As long as it was just the lab, we never had scratches on it; his nails seemed to be "softer" and would wear down on the tile floors. Once the other dog started getting on it with her much harder nails, the cushions were ruined within days. So, we have the seats slipcovered. Not my favorite look, but I won't replace it as long as she is with us.

As far as temperature and slide-ability, I have no problems with either one. What it comes down to for me is how easy they are to clean. Once you clean a leather couch and see how much grossness was on it, you'll probably never want a fabric upholstery again! (At least not until you have a mostly kid and pet free environment.)

[kim21]

laurielee, We'll have to start a "Riley Chair" thread! I am an avid reader and "test drove" a number of reading chairs; the Riley chair is so comfy...as are many of the La Z Boy products.

Cookin4love, you make a great point. It is really hard to keep upholstered fabrics clean. They may look clean, but they are not, and I find the leather is really easy to care for. There are also so many beautiful colors of leather to choose from. I had intended to get black leather; however, was really drawn to a beautiful eggplant color, as well as the ruby red. I got the ruby red and have been really happy with that. There was also a navy blue one in the store and that was really classic looking, too.

Best wishes, Kim

[wallycat]

If it is up to me, I will never buy anything BUT leather.
Easy to care for, comfortable, forgiving, durable......can't say enough about it.

[HejazSunKat]

I have one leather chair (and ottoman) in a house with NO a/c (arrgh!) and about the only thing I've noticed on the 'negative' side is that they get very dusty or maybe you can just see it on the leather more than you can on fabric furniture. If it shows dust wouldn't you think it would show dog hair too? It's comfortable though! Very comfortable.

[Robyn1007]

Guess I'm gonna be the lone (are almost lone) dissenter. I despise leather furniture. I'm very sensitive to temperature and if it's cool and if the leather feels cool against my back I will be cold to the bone until I do something like take hot shower. It's miserable for me. I understand the pet fur issue as I have all white cat but I've found some good pet hair removers and that is the best option for me. I have been furniture shopping of late and seen a few combo pieces where the sides/back are leather and the cushions are microfiber and I am considering those. At least it reduces the surface area of fabric.

[aggie94]

Robyn,

This was just my experience, as I know others who have pets and microfiber couches have not had issues, but microfiber is like static cling for pet hair. We bought a microfiber Natuzzi couch a couple of years ago and had it for less than a week before we called the furniture store and made them come pick it up. It was MISERABLE. The pet hair just clung to the microfiber and nothing we did (not damp towels/sponges/rags, dry towels/sponges/rags, or vacuuming) would get it all off. We ended up returning it for the same couch in leather, our first leather couch.

I don't *love* leather couches for pet hair either (I've commented before that it's like the hair just pools up on the couch) but it's better than anything else I've owned, and at least cleaning off the hair is easy and fast. We ended up getting rid of the leather couch mentioned above after the dog's nails tore up one of the armrests and recently bought a beautiful sectional with leather that is more durable and softer to the feel than our previous couch. So far it's holding up very well, even when the dogs tear all over it. :eek: :rolleyes:

This is a picture of our new couch:

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/p1178cd1fb6515312e22c66b229728db5/e89eb431.jpg

[Robyn1007]

Eva, that's interesting because my mom has a microfiber with a cat (and for a month we had mine and hers there) and they don't have a problem. Eh, who knows, I think as pet owners we come to a level of comfort with it that some people would think is crazy.

[lindrusso]

Well, I'm shopping online at Raymour and Flanigan and come across this gorgeous little number.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pcc0ae0e0be0c2710502f71d20f32f5ad/e89c5b57.jpg

:eek: :eek:

I've dubbed it The Marshmallow.

Loveseats are a bit pricier than I was anticipating. But maybe we can do one of those 12 month/no interest jobbies..............

[Laurielee]

ahh, you are thinking like a dog person, buying the same color as the dog:o I think the hair may stick to that but at least it will blend in, looks very comfy.

When we put tile in our house, I brought samples home and made the dogs walk on them and put dog hair on them to see how they blended in


Laurie

[lindrusso]

ahh, you are thinking like a dog person, buying the same color as the dog:o I think the hair may stick to that but at least it will blend in, looks very comfy.

Actually, I was posting that as a joke. I thought it was hideous. :o :o

But, yes, we did buy carpets with dog hair in mind, but that's why I'd like to get a dark colored sofa - so that the whole room doesn't end up so neutral and bland.

The first house we lived in had dark carpets (from previous owners) and although they did not show stains, the dog hair was horrible. Never again.

[PAMMELA]

Actually, I was posting that as a joke. I thought it was hideous. :o :o



Really? I like it! Go figure.

[lindrusso]

Really? I like it! Go figure.

:D

Just not my thing.

I like tailored pieces with clean lines. No puffs or rolls or anything like that.

Actually, now it's reminding me of bread - like a package of dinner rolls - just break one off......... :D ;)

[Robyn1007]

:D

Just not my thing.

I like tailored pieces with clean lines. No puffs or rolls or anything like that.

Actually, now it's reminding me of bread - like a package of dinner rolls - just break one off......... :D ;)

Hehe! I was avoiding posting because I agree with you. I'm a clean lines kinda gal! :D

[Laurielee]

Lindrusso, have you checked out La z boy site? They have some really nice loveseats and beautiful fabrics.



http://www.lazboy.com/ourfurniture/catalog.aspx?cid=28

Laurie